MRI tomorrow

[MightyMouse]

Hi everyone, even though I couldn't get into the neurologist for a few more weeks, I was able to score an MRI slot for tomorrow. Here's to finding something easily fixable on those films!! I'm getting a bit worn down from the pain factors going on all at once in my body--the guts, the spine, the muscular spasms in my neck, back, shoulder, arm and jaw. Tiresome...and the meds make me so sleepy that lucid thought is quite a challenge.

I'm hanging in there and am glad that holiday weekend is coming so if I need meds to be comfortable and wont miss more work. I think I've used half my annual sick time already (my year goes Sept to Sept).

Julia, Diana and Dan, I know you can empathize with how hard it's been to re-adjust to sleeping with the hard collar contraption on my neck.

Sorry for venting some more--I feel like it's been "my turn" quite a bit on the board of late.

Nina

[DancingLight]

nina,

go ahead and vent...you can take a 'turn' we don't mind!

i had a pain-free day today and it was such a minor little miracle i couldn't believe what it did for my mood...so i empathize with the pain really beating you down after a while. i didn't realize how cranky it was making me. (i am not saying this to rub it in or something...quite the opposite.)

my mom has cervical stenosis and she is always in pain and i'm like, how come you never complain? how do you stand it!?

at least mri's are the least painful of tests out there! i'll take an mri any day over most other things! 'cause i'm a big wimp even on those u/s things! and that barium stuff you have to drink before a cat scan! eeek! sorry, whining.

well, i'd better not type too much...don't want to end that pain-free moment i am having!

i hope the mri does lead to some answers for you.

let us know. at least you got in quickly, unlike when you were having all the pelvic pain!

emily

[MightyMouse]

The radiology group called and moved my appointment to Friday The radiologist was looking over my files and decided that he wanted a set both with and without contrast, and that takes a longer time slot than they alloted to me today.

Meanwhile, I'm running out of flexeril. I called my neuologist to see if he would order some for me, but the nurse gave me gruff because he'd never ordered it for me before--I was honest in telling her that my neurosurgeon ordered it for me originally, but I no longer see him. I have an upcoming neuro appointment, but I wont be able to make it until then without meds.

I called out from work again today.

Nina

[Michelle Sawicki]

Hi Nina!

I hope you feel better soon. So sorry to hear you're still not feeling well.

Michelle

[JacobyD]

Hi Nina!

Just wanted to let you know I am thinking of you and wishing you the best on your MRI this Friday. I am very curious to hear the results. I've had a lot of neck and shoulder pain myself over the last few months. This is also a fairly common symptom when tapering (or hitting tolerance) off a benzodiazepine due to muscle tightness. Hopefully it will pass.

Julia and Diana, I think of you both every day and want you to know my thoughts are with you. I will never be able to thank you enough, Diana, for stopping by and visiting me at the hospital. I know I was in pretty rough shape at the time, but you brought a smile to my face that stuck with me for quite a while.

Lots of love and good thoughts all around,

Dan

[geneva]

Nina, sorry your appt had to be delayed but hope that Friday's MRI will find something "easy" to fix...and hope that you can get the results sooner vs later. Surely your doctor gave you the additional Flexeril??? I can't believe the nurse gave you a hard time...what am I saying, of course it is believeable!!

Have a nice long weekend and plenty of rest.

[MightyMouse]

Nope, no flexeril.

I did get a better night's sleep last night by keeping the brace on. Tried taking it off for a few hours this morning, but the pain wound it's way back up to a roar, so back on it goes.

I was thinking that I might get in touch with the pain management group that I was working with before I had my spinal surgeries.

Thanks for the good thoughts & words Nina

[corina]

Nina,

I hope you're feeling a bit better today. I think you're having a very rough time lately. Just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you. All the best,

Corina

[MightyMouse]

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!!! I just got off the phone with my pharmacist and the doctor finally did call in an rx for flexeril this morning. Sweet relief is on the way

My doc is an upstanding guy--but this isn't the first time his staff have extended my misery. This is the doc who told me I could curse out the nurse and tell her to put him on the phone (the nurse is actually his partner's hire, not his). He was furious the last time I told him of how she'd delayed my meds for a migraine by a few days. In any event, glad that he came through for me again, and I'll give him the info on the nurse when I see him in a few weeks.

Big, anticipatory sigh. Nina

[Guest GayleP]

Nina,

Good luck with your MRI.

I'm sorry you are having so much pain, I hope you get some answers. I know you have been through a lot in the pain area lately.

GayleP

[Jersey Girl]

Happy Thanksgiving! I never know whether finding something on an MRI is good news or bad, but I wish you well and hope your hearing isn't affected too much. Perhaps some extra rest over the long weekend will help as well. Take care. Martha

[Nicole's Mom]

Nina,

I wish you well with your MRI and hope they can detect what they need to in order to relieve you of your discomfort. Hope you are able to enjoy your Thanksgiving- glad you got that med.

Best,

Beverly

[Guest Julia59]

Nina,

How did you MRI come out? Have you been able to find out anything?

Seems like you, Dan and I have had our share of problems lately with our necks.

I hope it is nothing too serious, as I do not want to see you deal with some of the neck instability problems I have had to deal with---it has truly been a nightmare.

I have read a lot recently about EDS and it's possible connection with neck and chiari issues. I know one thing-------Neurosurgeons need to check and see if a person has EDS before cervical spine surgery due to the many complications that can arise for obvious reasons.

I have found some interesting posts in the WACMA web site on chiari and how EDS can affect the outcome of surgery. Some of the folks on the forum have posted some interesting abstracts. Dr. Bolognese and Dr. Milhoradt from the Chiari Institute are taking an interest in a study being done at NIH on EDS.

There has been a lot mentioned about ANS dysfunction with chiari/and cervical spine stenosis ----much the same as many folks on this site. I imagine the problems you are having with your neck can't be helping your ANS symptoms much.

I hope you feel better soon. Keep us posted. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Julie :0)